Tonight’s home game against a non-playoff team like Winnipeg isn’t one of the games you should be worried about if you’re a playoff aspirant.  Unfortunately the Devils had two things going against them…number one, the fact this game was just two days after we played on the west coast Saturday night (and our fourth game in six days no less).  Number two, we just never do well against this team, particularly the last two years.  They’re one of the quickest teams in hockey, we’re one of the slowest and time and again that’s the difference in these games.   Especially since it seems like Evander Kane – no matter how much he feuds with his coach or slumps – somehow manages to score every single game against us.

Given all that, tonight’s 3-1 loss came as little surprise to this blogger although still dissapointing nonetheless after the Devils’ four-point West Coast trip seemingly put them back on the beam as far as being a contender.  It’s hard to see how this team can ever sustain a good streak after nights like this.  When Jaromir Jagr can’t dominate, few others are picking up the slack right now.  Most of our FA shopping aside from Jagr has been a disaster.  Ryane Clowe has only recently started skating after his month-long ‘headache’, Damien Brunner has been a total disaster after his early streak and Michael Ryder hasn’t been much better.

Even with my pessimism before the game, the fact I had car issues (wouldn’t start) and was prevented from even going to the game was an indicator that perhaps this wasn’t going to be my night.  Then again I wasn’t too unhappy not to sit through that mess, though I would have liked to have gotten the team calendar after the game at least.  Insane really that they wait almost two months to have the team calendar promo but of course the night they finally have it, divine intervention keeps me from being there.  Just over twelve thousand were there in paid attendance although I’m sure many more took advantage of the Hockey Fights Cancer voucher handouts a few weeks back.  Certainly the guys who play the horn and vuvuzela almost nonstop were there, you could even hear them on a MSG broadcast which all but mutes in-arena sound.  Aside from the game itself, that’s the one thing I didn’t miss about not being there.

Perhaps the only good news is that rookie sensation Eric Gelinas avoided serious injury after developing a charley horse on a kneeing penalty late in the second period.  We were already missing Anton Volchenkov, Bryce Salvador and Adam Larsson due to injury.  At least Jon Merrill got to come back from his concussion and play an actual full game, though he really didn’t do much at least he has a better NHL memory now than getting wiped out within minutes at Minnesota.  Our defense still manages to keep the goal/shot totals down no matter who’s in there, but with this offense all it takes is a couple of mistakes, like Andy Greene drifting yet again over to the right side and leaving trailer Mark Scheifele open for just his second goal of the season at 16:01 of the first period.  Or Marek Zidlicky running out of the way of Kane’s second period one-timer right off the faceoff though in his defense he was probably trying to prevent Martin Brodeur from being screened and it’s still a goal Brodeur should stop.

Speaking of Brodeur, I love the guy but come on…why are we playing a 41-year old goalie less than 48 hours after he played on the West Coast, and on his third game in six days no less?  Especially when you have another perfectly capable goalie in Cory Schnieder who just stole you two points in LA, and now he’ll be benched for a week since that game while Brodeur probably plays his third game in a row Wednesday.  Yes Marty’s turned back the clock and played well but why are you running the guy into the ground when you don’t have to?  It’s not like Schnieder hasn’t played equally well, he just hasn’t had the goal support although you wouldn’t know it from today since Marty didn’t get much goal support either.  In fact this looked like it was going to be our seventh shutout of the season until Patrik Elias finally scored our one and only goal in two games against the Jets this year on a tip-in of Greene shot.  This offense is almost as bad as the football Jets’ offense, and that’s saying something.

Hopefully Wednesday’s game will be better…maybe I’ll even get to go this time.